The use of a manual control device, such as a joystick, in a hand-held game-playing apparatus involving multiple switches is generally known. The device typically involves an actuator, usually in the form of a lever or the like, which controls various commands including the positioning (along a standard two-dimensional X and Y axis) of an image on a television screen. The lever is typically limited to two-dimensional motion by the support or pivot on which the lever turns and the motion is translated into an electrical signal via selected electrical components, such as potentiometers, switches, or piezoelectric transducers.
A typical prior-art control device includes a switch actuator in the shape of a cross with four lever arms that are adapted to actuate four switches respectively disposed beneath the lever arms. Normally, when the lever arms are not being pressed, the four switches are in an open or nonconductive state. Similarly, if one of the lever arms is pressed, the respective switch is closed or short-circuited and thereby commands one of four predetermined horizontal or vertical directions. In hand controllers for video games and multimedia systems, however, it is desirable for the manual control device to be capable of commanding more than four possible directions.
Furthermore, in the operation of the prior art manual control device, the operator must push directly down on one of the four arms thereby actuating the respective switch. Subsequently, for each change of input, the operator would have to release the previously-depressed arm and push directly down on one of the other arms to actuate a switch. Multiple repetitions of this operation can result in operator fatigue and discomfort, as well as inefficiencies in executing commands.